Local leaders say they are mostly prepared for Iryna’s Law, which takes effect Monday. House Bill 307 was passed in response to the August killing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail system, and it tightens pretrial release conditions for people who are arrested — particularly those with mental health concerns.
Beginning Monday, law enforcement agencies, pretrial services programs and district attorneys must provide judges with a criminal history report for every defendant before a release decision can be made.
Mecklenburg County Chief District Judge Roy Wiggins told county commissioners last week that the new requirements will likely lead to longer jail stays.
“Increased use of secured bonds is going to leave a lot more folks in custody, which is going to put a lot of pressure on Sheriff McFadden and on the county’s resources,” Wiggins said. “I know this county is working hard to ensure that we are able to accommodate that.”
Several county commissioners said they are concerned about the strain the law could place on the jail, the sheriff’s office and the district attorney’s office.
The bill also provides funding for 10 additional assistant district attorneys in Mecklenburg County, along with five new legal assistants.
